


The one where Joey gets sick and Chandler takes care of him

by Valleria99



Category: Friends (TV)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Oblivious Chandler, Oblivious Joey, Romance, Sick Joey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-08 17:47:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13463361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valleria99/pseuds/Valleria99
Summary: Pretty much just two idiots who have been in love with each other for years without realising it, prepare for some angsty thoughts (completly unfounded obviously) and a fluffy ending





	The one where Joey gets sick and Chandler takes care of him

**Author's Note:**

> Weel, what can I say. I just started watching Friends, so I naturally had to write something with those two since there is no way I can accept them not being together. I mean have you seen them together? Jeez.  
> I may write more, if the mood strikes, but that will probably just be smut (grins unrepentantly)  
> Enjoy and feel free to drop a comment on your way out :D

Joey laid in his comfortable black leather armchair and stared at the ceiling with hazy eyes. His thoughts were sluggish and his whole body felt sore. A hacking cough disrupted the quiet of the empty apartment, before he shivered pitifully. All he wanted was for his roommate, best friend and secret crush to get home, because Chandler always made him feel better. 

A few more minutes passed until he finally heard the turning of the metallic doorknob, followed by the sound of soft steps and a loud bang as the door fell shut.  
“Hey Joe, I’m home! You will not believe what happened to me today.” Joey smiled faintly, before his body was wrecked by another round of heavy coughing.  
“Joe! What is wrong?” In a few seconds, Chandler was at his side and leaned over him, soothing hand on his forehead.  
“You are burning up, come on I will put you into bed. Can you walk?” Joey shook his head miserably, he did not feel like he could ever walk again. Okay, so maybe that was a bit dramatic, but he did not feel well at all. 

“Well, no helping that then, up you go.” And before he could quite comprehend what was happening, Chandler had picked him up and carried him to his room bridal style. His head lolled to the side, resting on the younger man’s shoulder and he whimpered slightly as Chandler placed him down, unwilling to loose his heat source so soon. “I’m cold,” he mumbled quietly, petulance written all over his pinched face. 

“I know, it will get better soon, I promise, okay?” Joey looked at his crush hazily and tried raising a questioning eyebrow.  
Chandler smiled gently and tucked his blankets around the prone form on the bed. “See, aren’t you feeling much better already?” Joey tried glaring, which fell spectacularly flat as he had to sneeze. Leaning over him again, Chandler brushed a stray hair from his sweaty brow and smiled with an uncharacteristic gentleness that only Joey ever saw and which made his heart melt into a content puddle of goo. 

The younger man chuckled and turned around, about to search for some medicine to get Joey better, when he felt a hand tugging on his sweatshirt. As he looked down questioningly he was met with a pair of huge brown puppy eyes. “Don’t leave me alone, Chan.” 

With an indulgent huff he settled down next to Joey, softly stroking his hair while he leaned against the headboard. Snuggling up to Chandler, Joey drifted off, one hand still clenching the soft material of his shirt. 

\--------------------------------

As he slowly began drifting out of dream land, he burrowed his face deeper into his pillow. His moving pillow. Confusion filled him. Was he starting to hallucinate now? He knew that he was sick, but he hadn’t thought it to be this bad. Slowly he opened his eyes and blinked at his headrest. Uncomprehending he stared at Chandler’s chest, then his gaze wandered to the weight around his waist. 

“Uhm, Chan..?,” insecurity bled through his calm voice and he had to fight a blush at the thought of sleeping on Chandler like this. 

Showing no conscious reaction, the other male pulled Joey closer and grumbled something ineligible. Joey sighted silently and dropped his head back down, he could get away with this for a few minutes, couldn’t he? Inhaling his scent, he closed his eyes and wished for this to be a regular occurrence and not a coincidence. He wanted to be with Chandler so bad, but knew that it could never happen. His longtime love was as straight as an arrow after all. Joey bit his lip to keep out the familiar pain, but a soft sob tore itself out of his throat and he curled tighter into the warm body next to his. Being sick always brought the normally buried and locked feelings to the forefront of his mind and he allowed himself to wallow in self pity about a love that would never be returned. 

“Hey, what’s wrong? Are you crying?,” Chandler questioned with all the alarm he seemed to be able to muster with his sleep addled brain. 

Joey’s eyes shot wide open and he pulled away quickly. “N-No of course not,” he hastened to reply and turned away. 

“Joe, I know how you sound when you cry. Tell me, what is wrong?” He appeared to be more awake now and obviously worried. 

Joey didn’t know what possessed him to reply at all. Later, he blamed the sickness. 

“You would hate me if I told you!” 

\--------------------------------

Chandler looked at the other in alarm, what had brought this on? How could he ever hate his cute, adorable Joe? Why would the other think that? 

“Look at me,” he ordered in a calm voice. Joey only huddled tighter into his cocoon of blankets and refused to move in an uncharacteristic show of insecurity, so he had to resort to different measures. 

Getting onto his knees, he shuffled closer and leaned around the other until he saw his face. Feeling a bit ridiculous in this position he cleared his throat pointedly. 

“Joe? I could never hate you, not in a million years.” Okay so maybe that admission ran a bit too close to dangerous territories and he winced at the thought. Well, no going back now. 

Joey looked up into earnest blue eyes and smiled, but it looked forced. 

“It’s nothing, okay Chan?” A slight quiver in his voice. Chandler narrowed his eyes. 

“Don’t insult my intelligence. We have been best friends for how many years? Do you really think I would throw that away because of something you told me?” 

Joey winced visibly and shook his head in denial, then stopped and averted his eyes. 

“I don’t - that’s not what I… I mean, it’s just that I…,” his voice trailed off and Chandler raised an eyebrow.

“This is very unlike you. Is it really that bad?” 

\--------------------------------

Joey only burrowed deeper into his blanket and refused to say anymore. Oh God, he would loose Chandler if he ever told him! Sure, the other would be understanding and gently tell him that he didn’t feel the same way, but after that there would be sidelong glances with everything they did. Analyzing his behavior. Stilted silences would replace relaxed conversations. Chandler would pull away from him. Only meeting in the group. Never alone together. No more hugs. No more stroking his hair when he got sick. 

He whimpered in pain at those thoughts and tried holding back his tears, knowing they would make his best friend only more suspicious. 

Suddenly there were strong arms around him and his face was pressed into the soft fabric he had slept on only minutes before. His eyes widened. What just happened? 

“-oe, Joe, listen to me!” Chandler sounded urgent and there was something raw in his voice he couldn’t quite place. 

A hand reached under his chin and tilted his head up. There they were again, those bottomless sapphires glittering with resolve. 

“Joe, I will never, ever hate you. You have to believe me!” There was no deceit in his eyes, but Joey had already known that. Of course he did, he knew the man he was pressed against better than anyone else in the world. But this would rock the very basis of their friendship. You didn’t just admit your feelings for your best friend to your best friend, it was a receipt for disaster. Joey started hyperventilating. God he was pathetic, wasn’t he? 

\--------------------------------

Chandler tightened his arms around his love and spoke in a low, calming voice he knew helped. 

“Joe. You have to breathe. Come on, deep breaths for me, okay? In and out. There you go. In and out, it will be alright. I’m here for you. I won’t leave you. I will never look at you differently, no matter what you tell me. I love you.” 

He froze. Oh no. Did he just? Fuck. His brain melted down and his normal eloquence left him completely. 

Joey looked at him, shock written all over his face. “What?” 

Chandler closed his eyes and cursed silently. Fuck, Fuck, FUCK! He just ruined everything. All because he couldn’t keep his fucking mouth shut. Despair flooded him, but then Joey spoke again and he concentrated on that melodious voice. 

“Did you just say that you love me?” 

Not knowing what to say, he stuttered “I, I uhm I.. Yes, I did and I’m sorry! I promised myself to never tell you, because that would ruin everything and now I did and you won’t want to be with me anymore. Oh God, what have I done?” 

\--------------------------------

Joey stared at his love with huge eyes. Did he just..? Was this a dream, or had Chandler really just said that? His heart bloomed with hope and he gave a brilliant smile.  
Hesitantly, he closed the distance between their lips. As his lips met with full chapped ones, he felt like he could die happily now. It was perfect. A warmth spread out through his whole body and he hugged his maybe-hopefully-oh-please-boyfriend tightly. Strong arms tightened around him and Chandler kissed back. 

He kissed back! 

A large hand wound into his hair and drew him even closer to those tantalizing lips he had spent so many hours mooning over, then a warm tongue flicked along his bottom lip demanding entrance. 

When their tongues met they started a sensual dance, exploring each other slowly. 

Parting for air, Joey looked into blue eyes and smiled again, more brightly than he had in a long time. 

“I love you too, Chan.”


End file.
